Garland: Firewheel Town Center

[jrd1964]

Looks like plans are in place to add a Fairfield-Marriott hotel to the center area of Firewheel.

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/ret ... le-section

[exelone31]

Interesting, I wonder what the demand would be for a hotel there.

I was out there this past weekend, after not having been there in quite a while (grew up in Sachse) and it's really weird how pedestrian un-friendly the development is. There are lots of crosswalks without ramps (no fun when you're pushing a double stroller) and just a general disconnectedness that's strange given the apparent intent of the layout.

[cowboyeagle05]

What do you mean? I lived nearby for years and visited that mall on the daily. Where are the no ramp crosswalks I am actually curious? At the time I hoped for more urbanism when they built that mall would come. My mistake of course but I was young back then. Also, I assume the disconnectedness you are referring to is related to the shopping centers built further away along 78 near Dillards that are surrounded by parking lots for sure and an island to themselves. At the end of the day, Simon malls just built a suburban outdoor mall and have moderately allowed mixed use. They don't seem to be willing to contain parking in garages and allow more fill in projects to absorb those massive parking lots.

As far as the hotel demand goes there is some demand thanks to State Farm being down the road and the lake in the other direction. Multiple hotels have been built nearby once George Bush opened all the way to I-30. I could definitely see the attraction of staying at a mall hotel with good access to shopping and eateries like this.

[exelone31]

Here are a couple off the top of my head. One clearly marked a crosswalk (there are actually two of these mid-street crossings) and then one crossing that ironically feeds into a soon-to-close Toys/Babies-R-Us.

Overall, I'm just making small quibbles. This development is great, it's just little stuff like that that's aggravating.

[cowboyeagle05]

The Toys R Us one is a product of rebuilding that space when Toy R Us took over the Circuit City space and built out the facade differently without a pedestrian focus. The loading dock became the focus of the initial design for sure cause no ramp was ever there. Also, I believe that's where the Linens N Things was as well. Word of warning that spot is destined to fail every store that opens there lol.

Yeah, I would not have noticed that marked crosswalk either and honestly it seems like its a mistake to be marked as one. Seems like whoever was hired to paint lines probably wasn't working with whoever designed those bump outs in the first place.

[exelone31]

The Toys R Us one is a product of rebuilding that space when Toy R Us took over the Circuit City space and built out the facade differently without a pedestrian focus. The loading dock became the focus of the initial design for sure cause no ramp was ever there. Also, I believe that's where the Linens N Things was as well. Word of warning that spot is destined to fail every store that opens there lol.

Yeah, I would not have noticed that marked crosswalk either and honestly it seems like its a mistake to be marked as one. Seems like whoever was hired to paint lines probably wasn't working with whoever designed those bump outs in the first place.

I completely forgot that was a Circuit City! Holy cow, that feels like ages ago.